Oct 2, 2024 - News

Portland police chief on how the bureau is preparing for unrest

Meira Gebel

A line of people in police body protection stand in a line with an explosion off to the left of the frame. — Portland police faced criticism following the 2020 racial justice protests. Photo: John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

With Election Day just a little more than a month away, Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a new video that the agency is "taking an all-hands-on-deck approach" in preparation for "heightened tensions."

What he's saying: "It's super important to all of us that we maintain a balance between free speech and appropriate behavior that does not lend itself to criminal activity," Day said in the video, released Tuesday.

Therefore, the Portland Police Bureau will be "canceling days off" for officers — who will also be asked to work additional hours — and non-sworn staff members will be tasked with providing extra support, though Day did not elaborate on how.

Context: The bureau's Rapid Response Team, which responds to demonstrations, was reestablished this year after being disbanded in 2020 following a surge of officer resignations.

PPB faced sharp criticism over how officers operated over 100 straight nights of racial justice protests four years ago.

What we're watching: How the new, specialized crowd control unit will respond to future protests, given there has not been much detail about what kind of training officers have received.

One thing is for certain: They will be wearing body cameras this time.

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Portland police chief on how the bureau is preparing for unrest

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